When I was nine years old, July and August were spent lying in a hammock reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Summer and reading have been synonymous for me ever since. Now that I’m a garden geek, many of the books I choose are about plants and gardening. Heaven is sitting on my front porch with a good book, periodically looking over my colorful flower and vegetable gardens.
Two books that I’d recommend to fellow plant lovers for summer reading are The Forest Unseen, by David George Haskell, and Landscaping Ideas That Work, by Julie Moir Messervy. Haskell’s book is a thoughtful window into how everything in nature is connected. His daily observations of one square meter of old-growth Tennessee forest reveal the many tiny miracles that even confirmed gardeners overlook.
Landscaping Ideas That Work is a book that makes garden design principles easy to understand. Illustrated with photographs of gardens created by several designers, Messervy clearly explains why these gardens succeed and how the elements they contain can be translated to your own yard.
For me, these two books exemplify the sum of what gardeners do: we learn as much as possible about the natural world, and apply that knowledge to create the beautifully designed landscapes we desire.
About C.L. Fornari: C.L. is a writer, professional speaker, award winning radio broadcaster (GardenLine streamed worldwide), award winning Blogger (Whole Life Gardening), and manages an award winning website, www.gardenlady.com who lives and gardens in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. She is the author of five gardening books, the latest being Coffee for Roses. (Look for a review in this E-newsletter.)
Posted July 18, 2014
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Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis-and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. But many just toss them at the end of their initial show.
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Two books that I’d recommend to fellow plant lovers for summer reading are The Forest Unseen, by David George Haskell, and Landscaping Ideas That Work, by Julie Moir Messervy. Haskell’s book is a thoughtful window into how everything in nature is connected. His daily observations of one square meter of old-growth Tennessee forest reveal the many tiny miracles that even confirmed gardeners overlook. 
